The use of religion in coping with grief among bereaved Malay Muslim parents

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of religion on bereaved parents after the death of a child. Literature had attempted to understand how religiosity may influence parental grief both in positive and negative ways. However, this area is scarcely explored in the Malaysian context. This qualitative study involved 11 bereaved parents who lost their children due to accidents (n?=?9) and homicide (n?=?2). Open-ended questions that focused on the importance, activities, and role of religion in the grieving process among Malay parents were asked. According to the thematic analysis, some of the main themes found were that the bereaved parents described religion as a beneficial mechanism in helping them to adapt with their losses through various responses that indicated the perception that religion as a guidance. However, other than the positive impact, religiosity can also lead the bereaved parents to experience negative effects of using religion as a coping strategy. The influence of culture is prevalent in the current study as the theme of mystical belief and paranormal experiences were also reported. This study provides some professional implication from the possible use of religion in intervention.     

Profiles of Readers in a Digital Age

This study examined typologies of young adults as readers in the digital age (N = 993). Latent profile analysis (LPA) results showed that across different modes (printed, online, and social media) and purposes (academic and recreational) of reading, four distinctive reader groups emerged: low-interest readers, traditional readers, moderate readers, and high-interest readers. While there was an absence of the group who may read exclusively online, people with a higher level of reading interest would read a lot, and those with a lower level of reading interest would not engage themselves in reading, irrespective of different types of reading modes.     

The Experience of Intimate Relationships Among Homosexual Men in Malaysia

Malaysia is relatively conservative regarding topics like sex, and, especially, research on homosexual relationships is scarce. The current study aims to understand the experience of intimate relationships among homosexual men in Malaysia using a phenomenological qualitative approach. A total of 12 participants of various ethnic backgrounds (between 21 and 35 years of age) were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling via the Malaysian-based LGBT-friendly Facebook group. Thematic analysis was applied for data analysis, and themes emerged through looking into the perception and practice of intimate relationships. The findings of the current study reflect that the hetero-normative perception of intimate relationships is common among the participants, and is compatible with the cultural norms. However, in terms of sexual practices, the findings show similarities with more liberal parts of the world, as open relationships and casual sex is common among homosexual men. Hence, open relationships are being adopted as a strategy to improve the survivability of the relationship instead of just to satisfy sexual needs. The findings highlight the lack of a frame of reference for homosexual relationships in Malaysia. The current study adds to the scarce research on homosexuality in this country, which could assist professional helpers to better understand the different dynamics and beliefs of relationships among homosexual men and the challenges they may face.     

Further Evidence that Creativity and Innovation are Inhibited by Conservative Thinking: Analyses of the 2016 Presidential Election

The investigation replicated and extended previous research showing a negative relationship between conservatism and creative accomplishment. Conservatism was estimated, as in previous research, from voting patterns. The voting data used here were from the 2016 US Presidential election. The number of patents granted per county in the United States was used as estimate of creative and innovative accomplishment. Using a 2-level multilevel approach, in which state-level influences are taken into consideration, various control variables were tested, including socioeconomic status (SES), education, income, and diversity. The results confirmed a negative relationship between conservatism and the number of patents granted. Therefore, in counties and states with high conservatism, fewer patents were granted, even after controlling for SES and population. Patents were positively related to racial diversity and education. Practical implications include the benefits of liberal thinking outside of the political arena. Liberal thinking is very likely associated with flexibility, tolerance, and openness, and according to the present results, creative accomplishment. Limitations of the research and future directions are discussed.     

Using Motivational Strategies in L2 Classrooms: Does Culture Have a Role?

The present study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to examine the use of motivational strategies by Iranian English teachers and to see whether there were any culture-specific strategies. For the quantitative phase of the study, Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) motivational strategies questionnaire was distributed among 185 teachers to investigate their attached importance to and actual frequency of use of motivational macro strategies. In the qualitative phase, in order to explore a deep picture of the salient and specific motivational strategies and the reasons behind them, a set of semi-structured interviews with 10 volunteer teachers were conducted. Although results generally endorsed the findings of the original study and other similar ones, some culture-specific differences in strategy importance and use were traced, particularly in terms of promoting learners’ autonomy and goal-orientedness. The teachers devalued the motivational load of these variables due to the authoritarian sense of respect in their local context.     

The Effect of Listening to the Recitation of the Surah Al-Inshirah on Labor Pain,Anxiety and Comfort in Muslim Women: A Randomized Controlled Study

Journal of Religion and Health - This study aimed to identify whether listening to the recitation of the Surah Al-Inshirah (94th Chapter of the Holy Qur’an) during labor had any effect on...     

Selected organizational outcome correlates of spirituality in the workplace

This study addressed the feasibility, practicality, and effects of a management style defined as "Management-by-Virtues," a management philosophy and practice based on virtues derived from religious beliefs. The study focused on Management-by-Virtues as practiced in Christian firms and assessed the effect that Management-by-Virtues could have on such organizational outcomes as employees' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, and propensity to go beyond the call of duty in carrying out organizational tasks, i.e., Organizational Citizenship Behavior. The study, based on survey responses from 328 employees of 26 business firms, compared overall scores on Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in 10 businesses, described by owner/managers as being managed according to Christian beliefs and practices, with the same outcomes in 16 "control" firms that did not explicitly espouse such an orientation. The Management-by-Virtues firms were characterized by more committed, more satisfied employees, and employees' reports of higher incidence of Organizational Citizenship Behavior than the comparison firms. However, a measure of this construct based on employees' perceptions did not sharply differentiate the two groups of firms.     

Impact of Religious Activities on Quality of Life and Cognitive Function Among Elderly

Journal of Religion and Health - Religiosity and spirituality have previously been found to have significant effects on mental and physical health. This study aimed to compare...     

Psychometric Properties of the WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaire among Disabled Students in Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions

This study aims to evaluate reliability, internal consistency and dimensional structure of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) among disabled students. The study covers 127 disabled students studying in public universities, 26 in private universities, 109 in polytechnic and 19 studying in community colleges. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviation (WHOQOL-BREF) has been used to assess QOL. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha (α) and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Alpha scores greater than or equal to 0.6 are considered to denote acceptable and adequate internal consistency. Correlation matrix also showed satisfactory results in all domains. Factor analysis was carried out using the principal components method with varimax rotation to examine the dimensional structure of the questionnaire. This study has provided some preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of the WHOQOL-BREF to be used for evaluating quality of life among disabled students.     

Limits on efficient human mindreading: Convergence across Chinese adults and Semai children

We tested Apperly and Butterfill's (2009, Psychological Review, 116, 753) theory that humans have two mindreading systems whereby the efficient‐system guiding anticipatory glances displays signature limits that do not apply to the flexible system guiding verbal predictions. Experiments 1 and 2 tested urban Mainland‐Chinese adults (n = 64) and Experiment 3 tested Semai children living in the rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia (3‐ to 4‐year‐olds, n = 60). Participants – across different ages, groups and methods – anticipated others’ false‐beliefs about object‐location but not object‐identity. Convergence in signature limits signalled that the early‐developing efficient system involved minimal theory‐of‐mind. Chinese adults and older Semai children showed flexibility in their direct predictions. The flexible mindreading system in ascribing others’ beliefs as such was task‐sensitive and implicated maturational and cultural contributions.